Add Color And Scent To Your Garden By Growing Carnations

Helpful tips hat will make growing Carnations super easy! Carnation flowers add long lasting color and beautiful scent to your garden. Dianthus are also great as cut flowers!

Carnation flowers, which are also known as Dianthus, are a popular
choice for home gardens and professional horticulturists alike.

With more than 300 various dianthus carnation species from which to
choose, as well as hundreds of lovely hybrids, it is a sure bet that you
will find
some that will work in your own garden.

Most of the Dianthus varieties will reach heights of 18-24 inches, but
there are a few dwarf carnations that grow 9-12" tall. Shades of pinks
and purple, white and red flowers are the colors that are most
commonly available and some heavily scented carnations have a
intoxicating, spicy
fragrance that is very appealing.

Carnation flowers are available as annuals, biennials or perennials.
The choice is up to you and many gardeners have Dianthus beds that
contain
specimens of all of these varieties. Growing carnations lets them create
a spectacular flower garden with a simple to maintain look that
effortlessly changes from one year to the next.

There are few flowering plants that are as versatile and hardy as the dependable carnation flower.

You can use them as companion plants or main
attractions; use them as the mainstay in a cutting garden, create
borders with them, plant them in containers or even use them for
colorful beauty
in a rock garden setting.

Growing Carnations As Cut Flowers

Many types of carnations will provide you with lovely blooms beginning
in the late spring and continuing well into the
autumn months.Growing carnation flowers will enable you to always have
available some of the most common additions for a fresh flower
arrangement.
They are a heavy favorite for use in any floral arrangement
because of their outstanding beauty and long lived blooms.

With minimal care and water
these cut flowers can be enjoyed for several weeks. Other flowers may
wither, droop and shed their petals but you can count on the perky
carnation to
maintain its cheery disposition and appearance.

How To Grow Carnations

When planting carnations (or dianthus) you should remember that they
prefer full sunlight to partial shade. A minimum of 4-6 hours of sun is
required
for healthy blooms and foliage.

The soil
should be well drained, fertile and tend toward a slightly alkalinized
pH level of 6.7-6.9. Do not plant these flowers in soil that is too
richly fertile or too water absorbent. If the soil is too rich you will
end up with lots of green leaves and very few blooms. Wet soil that
drains
poorly will create yellowed, discolored leaves and can even kill the
plant.

Maintenance and Care

Once established a carnation can handle drought easily and you should
take care not to water them too much which can cause yellowing of the
leaves,
root rot and blossom drop. A light spray of water onto the plant 2-3
times a week should be sufficient to meet the watering needs unless the
weather
is extremely hot and dry.

When you are trying to sprout carnation seeds remember that they
will grow best when the temperatures are about 50-65 degrees during the
day and 40-50
degrees at night. As these plants mature you will find them easier
to do because then they are better able to handle warmer temperatures.

Deadheading spent blossoms and clipping fresh blossoms for use in
cut flower arrangements should be done on a regular basis when growing
carnations.
This will help prevent mildew on the stem and leaves and it also
encourages the plant to keep producing new blooms. Carnations are easy
to deadhead
with a finger pinch just beyond the junction of stem and flower. If you
use shears always cut above or below one of the leaf nodes for maximum
re-growth and flowering.

Fungus, molds and mildews can be problems for those gardeners who are
busy growing dianthus and carnations. Make sure that you have enough
room
between each plant for proper air circulation which will help prevent
molds and mildew from attacking your lovely carnation flowers. There are
few pests that will ever attack members of the Dianthus family which
means that you do not have to worry about applying pesticides.

If you are one who wants to enjoy growing carnations this spring and
summer you should keep all of these helpful tips in mind. Then you will
be
able to create a lovely garden where these flowers can assume a starring
role.

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